Chapter 37

"Out of nowhere, trouble comes flying in."

"What's gone wrong?" Shi Mei, seeing Xiang Er's distress, knew something bad must have happened.

"Red Ye said, someone came to cause trouble at the shop," Xiang Er replied.

"What?" Shi Mei was startled and thought to herself, my shop isn't a place of martial authority, why would someone come to cause trouble here? She asked, "Who is it?"

"It's the Commandant, Ming Jie," Xiang Er answered.

Shi Mei was taken aback, her brows furrowing, "Commandant Ming Jie, isn’t that Ming Fu's older brother?"

"Exactly!" Xiang Er stamped her foot, "That man is so annoying."

"How did he cause trouble?" Shi Mei inquired.

"He demanded ‘official promotion and wealth powder’!" Xiang Er grumbled, "He said that by smelling our fragrance powder, one could get promoted three ranks. Isn’t that just looking for trouble?!"

"Really?" Shi Mei couldn't help but laugh, "He dares to be so bold? After all, I'm a princess and he’s just a commandant."

"Sister Mei Zi, that's what they call 'a dog taking advantage of its master's power,'" Shi Mei said with a scoff. "Ming Jie’s sister is Ming Fu, a concubine of the Fourth Prince, and his elder sister is the Noble Consort Jing."

"Noble Consort Jing?" Shi Mei recalled, having heard from the Empress Dowager that among the favored consorts of the Emperor, the one who first gives birth to a prince would become the Empress, and one of them was Noble Consort Jing Mingjing.

"Ming Jie is a fool!" Xiang Er exclaimed, "He’s arrogant and domineering, relying on Ming Jing’s favor and Ming Fu being a prince’s consort. His martial skills are poor, and his position as commandant is merely a sinecure secured by his sisters. He’s also lecherous and very annoying!"

"Mei Zi," Zan Yue rushed over, "Red Ye is dealing with Ming Jie right now. What should we do? Red Ye has a temper and might just throw him out."

"No, no," Shi Mei gestured, "Ming Jie is clearly looking for trouble. Hitting him would play right into his hands."

"Hmph," Zan Yue snorted, "It's either Ming Fu instigating him or instructions from Qin Xianglian!"

"I’ll go see him," Shi Mei said, changing her clothes.

"Hey," Zan Yue stopped Shi Mei as she was about to leave, "Do you really need to handle this yourself? Tell us what you think, and we'll deal with him, or ask Zhong Bo to send him away."

"

"Alright!" Zan Yue thought for a moment and agreed with the logic.

So, the two of them, along with Xiao Xiang, headed towards the front hall.

By this time, it was late, and the fragrance powder shop was already devoid of other customers.

Red Ye, sitting in the main seat sipping tea, was visibly getting impatient with dealing with Ming Jie.

Ming Jie, a lecherous man, was charmed by Red Ye's beauty, with her red dress and red lips, and he behaved in a flirtatious manner.

Inside the fragrance powder shop, many of the guards were women from the imperial palace, and seeing his behavior, they were infuriated, hoping that Shi Mei would soon give the order to beat up this rascal.

Red Ye was particularly incensed, thinking to herself, just you wait! I'll gouge out your eyes in a moment!

At that moment, the bead curtain was lifted, and Shi Mei and Zan Yue entered.

Shi Mei had changed into a princess's attire, looking elegant and dignified.

Ming Jie had never really seen Chen Shimei up close before, only catching a glimpse from afar, and always heard from Ming Fu about her supposed shortcomings. But upon seeing her today, Ming Jie couldn’t help but think, what was my brother-in-law, the prince, thinking? How could he let go of such a beauty! If Chen Shimei and Ming Fu were compared side by side, Ming Fu would be completely overshadowed! Even Noble Consort Jing isn't as beautiful as her. There were rumors in the streets that Chen Shimei wasn’t actually the Empress Dowager’s adopted daughter but her biological one... Ming Jie nodded to himself, it seemed plausible. Otherwise, why wouldn’t the Emperor take her as a consort instead of letting Qin Xianglian have her?

"Commandant Ming Jie," Shi Mei greeted him with a slight bow.

Ming Jie hurriedly returned the gesture, "Ming Jie pays his respects to Princess Chen."

Shi Mei’s face was serious, devoid of smiles, causing Ming Jie to startle inwardly — ah, she does have the air of a princess.

"Haha," Ming Jie chuckled and sat down, addressing Shi Mei, "I’ve heard that the princess’s fragrance powder is miraculous, with extraordinary effects. The early-rising son powder you gave to King Chakak cured his chronic ailment, and I am quite envious! Therefore, I too would like to request some fragrance powder from the princess... Of course, as long as it works, name your price."

Shi Mei inwardly laughed at his pretense, thinking does he ever earn money through his own abilities? But she kept her composure and asked softly, "What kind of powder does the commandant seek?"

"Well, I..."

"Ah," Shi Mei interjected before he could get to the main point, "Commandant, there’s a saying, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ Here at the fragrance powder house, there are certain rules for requesting fragrance powder."

"Oh? What kind of rules?"

"There are three ‘nos’ when making a request here."

Ming Jie was taken aback, "Three 'nos'?"

"Fame, fortune, wealth," Shi Mei said with a smile. "These three things cannot be sought."

On one hand, Ming Jie was captivated by Shi Mei’s radiant smile, his heart racing; on the other hand, her statement about 'fame, fortune, wealth' instantly quashed his hopes for the 'official promotion and wealth powder'... he couldn’t ask for that now!

Ming Jie, having a bit of cunning, thought to himself, if I can't ask for fame, fortune, or wealth, then I’ll simply ask for a prince for my sister. With this in mind, he smirked confidently, "Oh, then I..."

"Ah, Commandant," Shi Mei interrupted him again, "I haven’t finished yet. Besides these three 'nos,' I also have three 'do not involve' rules."

"What?" Ming Jie was puzzled, "Three 'do not involve'?"

"The court, the jianghu, and the royal family," Shi Mei said, gesturing with her index finger, "Anything related to these three areas, I do not involve myself with."

"This..." Ming Jie scratched his head, thinking that he couldn’t even mention the desire for a royal son now.

Ming Jie inwardly praised her intelligence, thinking, this girl is quite clever, but no matter, there are other things besides the court, the jianghu, and the royal family. I'll just ask to be ten years younger! Let's see if you can do that.

With this in mind, Ming Jie said, "Then, I would like to request..."

Shi Mei, not waiting for him to finish, waved her hand again and said with a smile, "Commandant, you are too hasty again. There’s more."

"More?" Ming Jie, with his mouth open, said, "Princess, your rules are quite extensive."

"Ah, we can’t help it," Zan Yue interjected, shaking her head. "We're in the capital, under the Emperor’s nose, with many capable people around. Although our fragrance powder shop has an imperial plaque, there are always those whom the plaque can't crush. We are just weak women; if we don’t set strict rules, won’t we just invite trouble and bullying? Don’t you agree, Commandant?"

"Heh," Ming Jie chuckled dryly, thinking to himself — No wonder Ming Fu always comes here fuming. These girls are something else. Resigned, Ming Jie nodded to Shi Mei, "Princess, how about you list all your rules at once?"

"Oh, not many left," Shi Mei said, "Just the 'four no guarantees' and 'five no blames'."

Ming Jie, not particularly scholarly, was puzzled by her words and asked, "What are these 'four no guarantees' and 'five no blames'?"

"The 'four no guarantees' are birth, aging, sickness, and death," Shi Mei explained with a smile. "These are matters of fate. If someone seeks help with these, I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee the outcome, as many external factors are involved."

Ming Jie’s mouth twitched as he listened, and Shi Mei continued, "The 'five no blames' are greed, anger, attachment, desire, and ignorance. Everyone has these five desires, and if after using the fragrance powder, there’s no effect due to one’s own greed, anger, attachment, desire, or ignorance, then it's not the fault of our fragrance powder shop, but the fault of the user themselves."

After hearing this, Ming Jie paused for a long while before chuckling and asking, "So, Princess, what exactly does your fragrance powder do?"

"Oh," Shi Mei said earnestly, "Commandant, to be honest, not many men have visited my shop; most of our customers are women."

Ming Jie coughed slightly.

"Even if we do have male customers, they usually buy the fragrance powder to take back for the women in their lives," Shi Mei continued, taking the now-awake and fussy Xiao Fu Zi from Xiang Er and gently rubbing its ears until it calmed down.

"The fragrance powder we offer here has significant effects, but mostly it caters to matters of love and sentiment, such as perfuming attire, refining one’s spirit, and rejuvenation... in these aspects, it works wonders."

Ming Jie, feeling somewhat embarrassed, thought to himself that Chen Shimei was indeed formidable, far from the shrew or abandoned woman as rumored. Before he could even start making things difficult, she had already countered all his words.

Seeing him looking somewhat troubled, Shi Mei nodded to Zan Yue.

Zan Yue went to the back and returned with an exquisite brocade box.

Shi Mei took it and handed it to Ming Jie.

Ming Jie quickly reached out to receive it, only to find a delicately crafted small incense burner inside.

"This..." Ming Jie looked up at Shi Mei.

"This incense burner has been the best seller in my fragrance powder shop recently," Shi Mei explained. "Take it back for someone dear to you, General. When she has some free time, let her visit my shop, and I’ll pick out a few special fragrance powders for her. They’re excellent for preserving beauty and nurturing both body and spirit."

"Uh..." Ming Jie was at a loss for how to proceed. Originally, sending a lecherous man to trouble and reprimand a beauty was already a difficult task. Moreover, Shi Mei’s respectful yet confident demeanor, coupled with the gift of the incense burner as a gesture of goodwill, had put him in a difficult position. Continuing to cause trouble would only make him look shameless.

Turning around, Ming Jie caught a girl beside him glaring and signaling him with her eyes.

This girl was one of Ming Fu’s attendants, recognized by Xiang Er. Clearly, Ming Fu, knowing her brother's character, had sent her to keep an eye on him.

Ming Jie felt somewhat helpless. When Ming Fu had approached him earlier, she had made it sound serious. She claimed that Qin Xianglian was now completely infatuated with Chen Shimei. The current situation suggested that if Chen Shimei were willing to return to Qin Xianglian, dismissing both herself and Ming Fu would be easily accepted.

Ming Jie knew that Qin Xianglian held significant power, and if Ming Fu could be promoted to a higher status, the future benefits for him would be substantial. After all, among the thousands in the palace, although Noble Consort Jing was favored, she wasn’t the most favored. Being a minor commandant, if Ming Fu lost her standing, his two pillars of support would crumble.

Ming Fu had sent him not only to trouble Shi Mei but also to find a way to drive her out of the capital, as far away as possible, so she wouldn’t linger in Qin Xianglian’s sight, or to marry her off quickly!

Ming Jie’s thoughts turned, thinking that rather than letting someone else have her... He eyed Shi Mei again, considering whether to keep her for himself?

Red Ye, watching from behind, frowned. This Ming Jie, truly incapable of reading the room, seemed to be the type to spurn offered favors!

After giving the incense burner, Shi Mei thought that if Ming Jie had any sense, he would know when to back off and keep the peace. She returned with Xiao Fu Zi, only to hear Ming Jie sigh, "Ah, Princess... Although the incense burner is nice, I’m not sure who to give it to."

Zan Yue couldn't help but laugh, "Commandant, I’ve heard you have dozens of wives and concubines. Or do you think one incense burner isn’t enough? We run a small business here. Why not have them all come and choose, and we’ll sell at cost?"

"Ah... Miss Wang, you’re not aware," Ming Jie put down the incense burner, stood up with a chuckle, and said, "Though I have many wives and concubines, there’s no one I particularly favor... True affection is hard to find in this world, despite the ease of finding beauty."

Shi Mei frowned slightly, thinking to herself, you know true affection is hard to find, yet you took so many concubines? True affection is about mutual giving.

"After our conversation today, Princess, I feel a strong connection," Ming Jie smiled at Shi Mei, "In the future, let’s visit each other often and grow closer."

Shi Mei frowned slightly, thinking who wants to get close to you!

Zan Yue and Red Ye also sensed what he was implying. This Ming Jie really had no shame.

Xiang Er, standing aside, was getting irritated, thinking why should such a despicable man ogle and fantasize about the kind ladies of the fragrance powder shop? She felt like sending someone to throw him out directly!

Zhong Bo, who had been silently accompanying them, glanced at Ming Jie and signaled to a young attendant. The attendant slipped out through the back door, and soon, a maid came in to report, "Princess, the Marquis of Xiongyong has sent two carts of colorful brocade from Yunnan as a gift for the Princess, to make shawls."

Before Shi Mei could say anything, Zhong Bo interjected, "Ah, send it back the way it came. Our princess doesn’t accept such gifts. Just because we gave him face and met him once, why does he keep sending things? There are plenty of suitors; we don’t need one more marquis. From now on, listen carefully, don't bring in anything from anyone less than a scholar-official. We won’t accept gifts from anyone who isn't of noble or royal status. Of course... that doesn’t apply to the Bai residence across the way. That’s a major martial arts faction, and the princess likes to associate with three types of people: great heroes, regional overlords, and learned men with ambitions."

"Understood," the young maid hurriedly ran off, laughing with Xiao Xi outside.

"What happened?" Xiao Xi asked.

"Oh, Zhong Bo was just short of pointing at Ming Jie’s nose and calling him a toad lusting after a swan," she replied.

Xiao Xi scoffed coldly, "Well, isn’t he just a toad wanting a swan? He better leave quickly, or else, I’ll gather the brothers and beat him so badly even his mother won’t recognize him!"

"What’s going on?"

As they were talking, a person dropped from the roof. This man, named Wu Chang, was a skilled fighter from the Ghost Blade Sect, responsible for the security of the fragrance powder shop.

He had seen an official arrive and stay for a long time but didn’t want to eavesdrop, so he asked Xiao Xi.

The young maid quickly and vividly recounted the whole story.

After hearing the story, Wu Chang frowned slightly, nodded, and walked away.

The young maid, holding onto Xiao Xi, asked, "Hey, do you think they'll deal with Ming Jie?"

Xiao Xi stroked his chin and smiled, "Maybe, especially since Master Bai isn’t here..."

Zhong Bo's insinuations left Ming Jie alternating between shades of green and white on his face... He was always so arrogant, but now he realized he was just a minor commandant. Not a hero, nor a tyrant, and certainly not a scholar, and here he was, aiming for the princess. A toad lusting after a swan... The words felt like a kick to the chest.

At that moment, another servant came to report, "Princess, someone from the Bai residence next door has come with a gift."

Red Ye quickly said, "Please, let them in."

Shortly after, a girl dressed in a white robe with a red silk belt around her waist walked in, recognizable to Shi Mei and others as a skilled fighter from the Huoyan Sect under Huo Yanmen.

The girl presented a box of pastries to Shi Mei, saying, "Princess, the third-in-command from our sect sent me to ask if you need any help?"

Ming Jie jumped at the mention, thinking, the third-in-command of the Ghost Blade Sect? No wonder no one dares to trouble the fragrance powder shop; they have the backing of martial artists.

Being a coward and a pragmatist, Ming Jie realized that although the beauty was tempting, his life was more precious. He stood up, holding the incense burner, and said with a chuckle, "Well, since the Princess is busy,

Shi Mei nodded with a smile, "Take care, Commandant."

Zhong Bo hurried to escort him out, thinking to himself, just leave already.

Once he had left, Red Ye spat disdainfully, "He just doesn’t know when he’s given face!"

"Miss Chen," the girl from Huoyan Sect said to Shi Mei, "Aunt Huo said if any unsavory characters come to cause trouble again, just inform us. We’ll take care of them discreetly."

Shi Mei was very grateful and had someone return the courtesy, thanking the girl.

Xiang Er came over and asked, "Hey, sister, hasn't your Master Bai returned yet?"

Shi Mei’s face flushed, and she glared at her, but the girl from Huoyan Sect covered her mouth and chuckled, "Our master had urgent business and rushed to Guizhou, but he should be back soon. Before leaving, he instructed us to look after the fragrance powder shop and prevent any trouble."

"That’s very thoughtful of him," Zan Yue expressed her thanks. The girl sat for a while, enjoyed some pastries, and then took her leave, with Xiang Er carrying Xiao Fu Zi to see her out.

"Mei Zi," Zan Yue said, "Ming Jie’s visit was ominous, and it seems that those siblings will be trouble in the future."

"Could it be Qin Xianglian's doing?" Red Ye wondered.

"Hard to say," Shi Mei shook her head. "We all need to be more cautious in the future."

Everyone nodded in agreement and dispersed.

……

Ming Jie's carriage was on its way back to his residence, and by now, it was late, with few people on the streets.

Resting his chin on one hand, Ming Jie mused, Chen Shimei really is a beauty, but her status is too high, out of reach... He thought about discussing it with Ming Fu when he returned, or perhaps just giving up.

Lost in thought, the carriage suddenly came to a jarring halt with a "clatter," followed by several loud "thuds" outside, and the cries of servants and maids.

Ming Jie, startled, lifted the curtain to look outside and saw a servant crashing against the carriage window.

"Tch, can't even walk properly?" Ming Jie pushed him away, only to feel a sticky wetness on his hand. Looking down, he saw it was blood. Turning his gaze back, he saw the servant lying on the ground, lifeless, with a large gash across his neck.

Ming Jie gasped in shock, feeling a chilling sensation and a cramp in his calf. After a long moment, he tremblingly pulled aside the curtain to look out... only to see a flash of white and a cold gleam shooting towards him.

"Ah!"

……

Ming Jie screamed in agony as he was pierced through the heart with a sword. His head was then severed and fell onto the carriage, rolling away a considerable distance.

"Ah! The Commandant has been murdered!" The remaining servants fled in all directions.

Standing in front of the carriage was a man in white, his face obscured by a hat. He held a silver blade, wiping Ming Jie's blood from it with a sneer. Then, with a swift motion, he disappeared without a trace.

The next morning, the Emperor was startled by Noble Consort Jing rushing into his sleeping quarters, clutching his robe and collapsing to the floor in tears, wailing that her brother Ming Jie had been murdered.

Meanwhile, early in the morning, Qin Xiang Lian also received news of a body found on the main road in the eastern city. Ming Jie had been murdered. A family craftsman who had escaped reported that Ming Jie had visited the Xiang Fen residence the previous night and was killed on his return by a highly skilled martial artist in white, wielding a silver knife. The body was found decapitated, a gruesome death.

"Brother!" Ming Fu burst into tears and tantrums upon hearing the news, while Luan Jing'er and others hurried to console her.

Qin Xianglian frowned in deep thought, murmuring, "A man in white? With a silver blade..."

Meanwhile, at the fragrance powder shop, Shi Mei was up early, playfully engaging with Xiao Fu Zi on the bed, when Xiang Er burst in, "Mei Zi, something terrible has happened!"

"What now?" Shi Mei, caught between laughter and tears, said, "Xiang Er, you can’t keep getting alarmed at every little thing..."

"Mei Zi!"

Just then, Zan Yue also ran in, "Officials from the magistrate’s office are here. They say Ming Jie was killed on his way home last night!"

"What?!" Shi Mei sat up in shock.

"They said it was a man in white with a silver blade... a single strike decapitating him," Red Ye followed, adding, "Mei Zi, could it be..."

"No way!" Shi Mei shook her head firmly, her brows furrowed. "Bai She wouldn’t do something so senseless or cruel."

After saying this, she got out of bed to change her clothes, saying, "Let’s go meet the officials and find out more details. And no one mention Bai She or the man in white with a silver blade. There are many people who could fit that description in this world!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and followed Shi Mei out.